Romanek, Trudee. Aha! The Most Interesting Book You’ll Ever Read About Intelligence. Illustrated by Rose Cowles. Kids Can Press, 2004. ISBN 1553374851. $14.95. 40 pp. Reviewer: Betsy Spackman Reading Level: Intermediate Rating: Excellent Genre: Informational; Subject: Intellect--Juvenile literature; Learning--Psychology of--Juvenile literature; Brain--Juvenile literature; Book Reviews; A new addition to the Mysterious You series, this interesting and informative book discusses the concept of intelligence. The main text covers a variety of topics, including brain anatomy, human brain development, right and left-brain dominance, learning, learning disabilities, IQ, geniuses, and intelligence in animals and computers. "You Try It" sections offer quizzes and exercises that allow the reader to explore and apply concepts related in the text. Throughout the book, inset panels highlight fun facts. Overall, this book is well-written, and covers an intriguing topic in an engaging way. The author uses examples and stories to maintain the reader's interest, and the "You Try It" panels encourage active learning. There are a few minor inconsistencies; for example, after including basic brain anatomy in the beginning of the book, the author introduces the idea of multiple intelligences without mentioning that physical, spatial, and linguistic intelligences correlate to different parts of the brain. However, Romanek's treatment of multiple intelligences does emphasize that we are all smart in our own ways. Colorful illustrations complement the text in this excellent book that will engage young readers interested in intelligence.
